April 03, 2011

Patriotic demonstrators have vowed to ban far right supporters from their march.

The March for England is planned to march through Brighton on Easter Sunday. Organisers of the nationalist event have in the past been linked to the far right extremists the English Defence League (EDL), however orgainsers have said EDL supporters will be banned from the event.

Former march organiser and chairman of another far right group the English Nationalist Alliance (ENA) Bill Baker has been told he is also barred from attending.

March for England organiser Matt Silva (COR) said: "We are not a far right group. “We are a family event. If any EDL supporters turn up they will be turned away."

Last April more than 100 police officers chaperoned 150 marchers through the streets of Brighton and separated them from a similar number of counter demonstrators form Unite Against Fascism, at a cost of about £100,000. The event was criticised as a front for the English Defence League, but the event passed peacefully and police said there was no EDL presence.

However a similar March For England last August Bank Holiday ended with EDL supporters making Nazi salutes outside Brighton station.